PRINCESS THEATRE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9565, 22 October 1892, Page 3

PRINCESS THEATRE.

MR BENTLEY'S BENEFIT,

Mr Walter Bentley had reason to be gratified with'the tribute which was tendered to his higli talent -when, on the occasion of the complimentary benefit that, decided upon by a meeting of citizens, was tendered to him last night, a very large and fashionable audience, filling the theatre in every part, assembled to witness his impersonation of the' Cardinal in Bulwer Lytton's (the author was unbilled when he wrote it) great play of " Richelieu." The character i 3 one which, as is generally known, makes demands of an exceedingly heavy description upon the performer, and it is, moreover, a character for his representation of which Mr Bentley earned the highest praise upon his former visit to the colony. " Richelieu himself," wrote the author in his preface to the play, "is still what he was in his own day—a man of two characters. If, oh the one hand, he is justly represented as inflexible and vindictive, crafty and unscrupulous, so, on the other, it cannot be denied that he was placed in times in which the long impunity of every license required stern examples—that he was besot by perils and intrigues which gave a certain excuse to the subtlest inventions of selfdefence—that his ambition was inseparably connected with a passionate love for the glory of iiis own country —and that, if he was her dictator,-he was not less her benefactor." No higher commendation can be paid to Mr Berstley's performance than to say that he acted the part of the Cardinal to the life. Great pawer was the characteristic of his impersonation of the''old-dignitary. The splendid soliloquies and the noteworthy speech in which Richelieu denounces Baradas and invokes the powers of ths church in aid of the persecutor were admirable efforts; but the lofty 'language with which the play abounds w.is throughout rendered with due effect, and received full recognition from the audience, though no incident occurred such as was recorded by one of the Chie.igo dailies ac haviag happened on the occasion of Edwin Booth's last appearance in that city as Richelieu, when, on the popular tragedian delivering the line, " Tfce pen is mightier than the sword !" two junior,reporters, attached to one of the local evening journals " rose in their front seats in the dresa circle, and, blushing, bowed deeply. There was not a dry eye in the house." "The applause, however, with which Mr Bentley's performance was greeted was frequent and hearty, and there was a decided call at the end of each act, most enthusiastic after the second and third acts. Hiss Emma Brcntou displayed fine dramatic force in the third act, when she recites to the Cardinal the story of the insults offered to Julie de Montemar by the King and by Baradas, and her performance generally was creditable. Mr H. R. Roberts appeared as Da Mauprat, portraying the character in a manner that adds fresh laurels to those he has already acquired throughout the season, but the rest of the cast calls for no special mention.

The season will be concluded to-night, when, under the patronage of the Caledonian Society, ." Rob Roy " will be produced, with Mr Bentley in the vole of Bailie NicolJarvie.